The Game
by Ron3
Summary: Sequel to 'The Box'. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are part of a game... H/H and now R/L. Chapter 3 is now up!
1. Rules

A/N: This is the sequel to The Box and this story takes place the next year after it, so you might want to read that first. It's the trio's 6th year and the pairing is H/H and later on some R/?.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters, settings, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
  
Again, Harry and Ron were at Hermione's house for the summer. They were all excited to go to Hogwarts for their sixth year. And now that Harry and Hermione were a couple, Ron needed a girlfriend. After all, he was 16.   
  
In no time at all, they had been to Diagon Alley and then to King's Cross Station, and they were on the train to Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione were sitting close to each other, and Ron and Ginny looked on in disgust as they kissed.   
  
They now were stopping, which meant they had reached Hogwarts. Everyone departed and Ron and Ginny were yet again disgusted as Harry and Hermione kissed in the carriage.  
  
They got to the big stone steps leading to the door of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They entered the castle and went into the Great Hall. When all the students (except the new first years) were seated, Dumbledore said, "It's time for the sorting."  
  
It went on, only six people joining the Gryffindor table. (Amy Bonners, Lisa Gray, Erik Masterson, Elliot Nikes, Greg Peters, and Jareese Wilson.) The feast began, containing the most wonderfully cooked foods. Soon, the festivity died down and everyone was going to their tower. Harry and Hermione, and now Ginny and Colin, were all prefects, and they told the rest of the Gryffindors the new password ('Night Light'). Everyone went into their dorms and quickly fell asleep.   
  
***  
  
At breakfast the next morning, Dumbledore had an announcement. "This year, we are going to have a competition against two schools, Beuxbatons and Durmstrang. I assure, you, older students, that this will be safer than the Triwizard Tournament we had a few years ago. This is only a competition for older students, in their 5th, 6th, or 7th year. From each of the years I announced, four people will be picked from each house, two males, and two females.  
  
"The objective of this game will not be told to you unless you sign up and are chosen. You must be courageous enough to sign up and try. The sign up sheets are located on the wall by the staff table." The students clapped, most of the older students wanted to try.  
  
***  
  
The deadline to sign up was the end of the week; leaving only three days. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all wanted to sign up. They were not surprised to see Draco Malfoy's name on the Slytherin list.  
  
On Friday at dinner, the winners were announced. The Sorting Hat chose the students. For fifth years, the only person that the trio knew was Ginny. She had been chosen to represent Gryffindor.  
  
Sixth years were next to be announced. From Slytherin, to Harry, Hermione, and Ron's dismay, were Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and Millicent Bullstrode. On the better side, for Gryffindor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all chosen. So was Lavender Brown. As for seventh years, Harry only recognized Cho Chang from Ravenclaw.  
  
All of the students who had been chosen had to follow Professors McGonagall and Snape to an empty classroom for the rules of the competition. They were informed that the Beuxbatons and Durmstrang students would be arriving the next day. The name of the competition was called Riddles and Puzzles. There would be problems to solve, and each person that had been chosen would be on their own team, not with the others from their house. Then, a trophy would be awarded to the winning school.   
  
The first problem to solve would be the day after the other school students got there. McGonagall and Snape let the students go, it was almost 10:00. When they got to the common room, Harry, Hermione, and Ron went straight to bed.  
  
  
A/N: Not very productive so far, but I'll be posting more tomorrow. Please review. Thx.  
  
  
  



	2. First Riddle

A/N: Beuxbatons and Durmstrang students will be arriving in this chapter, the first puzzle will take place, and Ron starts thinking about girls he might like.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters, settings, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
  
When everyone awoke, they went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The Durmstrang and Beuxbatons students were aired there, and this time because there were so many of them, each of the two schools got their own table.  
  
Everyone ate and talked excitedly about the following days activity. Even the people not participating were excited. But Harry, Hermione, and Ron's excitement died down as they went to their first class of the day, Double Potions, with the Slytherins. Malfoy was acting like a big shot because he had made it.  
  
Today in Potions, they were learning how to make a Disappearance Draft. Once you poured it on an object (it had no effect on humans or animals) the object would disappear, returning in a half an hour's time. They had to work in groups of four, because a couple of the ingredients were rare, and Snape didn't want to use them all up.  
  
Snape picked the groups, joining Harry with Dean, Malfoy, and Pansy. He partnered Ron with Lavender, Goyle, and Millicent. Hermione was grouped with Seamus, Crabbe, and a Slytherin boy that they didn't recognize.   
  
Five minutes in to the potion making, they heard Snape yelling at Neville for adding an ounce too much powdered fairy hair to his group's cauldron. Meanwhile, Malfoy was irritating Harry. "So Potter, think you'll win our school the trophy? I doubt it. The only possible way for Gryffindor is if that mudblood Granger somehow beats me."  
  
"Don't be silly, Draco. Of course you'll beat her. She may be a know-it-all, but you can beat her any day," said Pansy Parkinson, admirer of Malfoy.  
  
"Don't count on it Malfoy," Harry said. "Did you hear Snape and McGonagall last night? They said that the top scorers from our school will win points for their house. And being there are 48 people from our school that are participating, I wouldn't be surprised if Crabbe and Goyle beat you."  
  
Before Malfoy could mutter a comeback, Snape came to check on them. "You four are barely even started! Even Longbottom's group is further along then you. We only have five minutes of class left. Detention for all of you. See me for your punishment after dinner tonight. Be on time or your detention doubles," Snape said.  
  
"But, Professor-"   
  
"Yes, Malfoy, you too, you and Miss Parkinson should have been responsible enough to tell Potter and Thomas to help you. That is all. Come tonight," Snape walked off, again yelling at Neville. Malfoy scowled at Harry.  
  
As they were leaving class, Harry muttered an apology to Dean for getting him a detention. Ron and Hermione caught up with Harry. "What was Snape going on about in there?" Ron asked.  
  
"Malfoy caused all four of us to get a detention," Harry said, irritably.   
  
***  
  
The day went on, and it was almost time for dinner. Dinner was indeed enjoyable, with pork roast, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and a lot more. As soon as they got done, Harry and Dean headed for the Potions dungeon. When they got there, Malfoy and Pansy weren't there yet. Two minutes later they walked in, looking agitated.   
  
Harry and Pansy had to each clean all of the bathrooms (Harry cleaning the boys rooms, Pansy, the girls) for Filch, and Malfoy and Dean had to scrub Snape's dungeon walls.  
  
When he was done, Harry saw Snape, and Snape told him he could go. Harry went to the common room to sit in a comfy armchair. Dean was already back. Harry fell asleep, but woke up at 1:30 in the morning at went to his dorm to get in bed.  
  
***  
  
The next morning was cheery, everyone waiting for the competition to begin. All the contestants were brought to a room to do the first riddle. Professors McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore, and Flitwick closely watched them so that none of them cheated.   
  
The riddle said: 'I went into the woods and got it, I sat down to look for it, and I went home because I could not find it. What is it?' The riddle was quite hard. In fact only Hermione, Malfoy, Cho, and another seventh year got it.   
  
So that gave Hermione, Malfoy, Cho, and the other seventh year 10 points each.  
  
***  
  
Later on, Ron was trying to think of possible girlfriends. Lavender and Parvati were both single. Also, he knew of Sally-Anne Perks, Hannah Abbott, Padma Patil, Mandy Brocklehurst, Susan Bones, and Lisa Turpin… Well, he thought, maybe I could ask…  
  
  
A/N: To anyone curious about the answer to the riddle, it's a sliver. Who will Ron ask out? Find out in the next chapter. Please review. Thx.  



	3. Hagrid's Message

A/N: I'm finally posting the 3rd chapter!!!   
  
Disclaimer: All characters, settings, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.   
  
  
...maybe I could ask Lavender, he thought. So he got up his strength and went down to the common room. He went over to   
where Lavender and Parvati were sitting.   
  
"Can I talk to you for a minute, Lavender?" he said.   
  
"Umm...sure," she replied   
  
When Parvati didn't leave, Ron added, "Alone." So Parvati went over to talk to Hermione and she gave Ron a   
questioning look. "Uh, Lavender, I just wanted to ask you if you... if you'd like to..." He was having trouble saying it. "go out with   
me," he finally burst out. She looked at him for a minute.   
  
"Yes," she said.   
  
***   
  
The next day, all of the students in the competition gathered. The new riddle was 'Two hunters leave their camp   
to go bear hunting. They walk 10 km south, then 10 km east. They kill a bear. Then they walk 10 km north   
and get back at their camp, exactly where they left. What color is the bear?'   
  
Everyone had trouble with this riddle, but amazingly, more people got this one right than the last one. Hermione,   
Lavender, Ginny, Harry, Blaise Zabini, a Durmstrang student, and two Beuxbatons students got it right.   
  
***   
  
Later that day, the students went to Hogsmeade. All the winning students got a coupon for a free Butterbeer.   
(Hermione got two because she won the day before, too.) Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Lavender all sat together at a   
table in the corner. They got giddy off the butterbeers and finally went back to Hogwarts at around 9:00.   
  
***   
  
The next day, there was no riddles, but there was a chart posted on the wall of the scores. Hermione   
had two points, but everyone else had one or zero. There was going to be a big feast in order of the quarter mark of   
the game. But before the celebration could start, Hagrid burst into the Great Hall. "Professor Dumbledore, you   
better come quick, this is really bad!"   
  
A/N: I know, I know, horrible chapter. I'm sorry. Please review anyway. Thx. (P.S. The answer to the riddle is   
white, because the only way you can get back to where you started by following those directions is being at   
the North Pole.) 


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